View allAll Photos Tagged commitment,
After a few weeks completely offline from Flickr due to lots of work & family commitments I am back. I have missed so many wonderful pictures from my Flickr friends so I promise to try to catch up and have a look at them all. Normality resumes so back to my normal routines and looking forward to seeing all the new images from my friends. :)
Still processing some older pics from 2017 I never got round to so hope you all like this wonderful Waterbuck from Kwandwe.
Waterbuck live in wide, separated ranges that are shared by many females and territorial and nonterritorial males. The size of a waterbuck's home range depends on the quality of the habitat, population, and the age and fitness of the waterbuck. Waterbuck that are in good health and are younger have the largest ranges. The home ranges of females may overlap, resulting in small herds that average 5 - 10 animals. Within these herds, there is no established rank order. Females, hovever, are most commonly found alone or in pairs, and it is believed that herds of waterbuck are random meetings of individual waterbucks. Horns begin to form on males at 8 - 9 months, which marks their separation from the females. These young males then form bachelor herds and remain in these until they mature.
The bachelor herds are composed of anywhere from 5 - 10 waterbuck. These are closed groups and the hierarchy is based on seniority. Upon maturation, the bulls become territorial. The activity of the waterbuck is affected by seasonal differences, habitat, grazing conditions, distance from water, and the number of predators in the area. When there is less water available and the conditions are dry, waterbuck need to rest more. While they have been found active at night, the waterbuck is more likely to be active in the daytime. Waterbuck are very water dependent. They eat a variety of grasses, both medium and short in length. Their diet is very rich in protein. When the amount of available grass is low, waterbuck eat other herbs to satisfy their needs.
ARTZUID 2025 Amsterdam
The 9th edition of the Amsterdam Sculpture Biennale ARTZUID takes place from 21 May to 21 September 2025. On Apollolaan and Minervalaan in Amsterdam-Zuid, 70 outdoor sculptures are being showcased of renowned artists and young talented artists.
This exhibition draws from top international artists and Dutch talent for the selection of sculptures and installations that can be seen this summer in Amsterdam. ARTZUID transforms the exhibition location into a surreal urban landscape in which figurative sculptures alternate with architectonic installations. They show a great variety in format and material. What unites them is their focus on the enigma of human existence; the wonder, the emotions and visions of being, the ambitions and fears about our place in the world. Artists such as Leiko Ikemura, Alicja Kwade and Neo Rauch invite the visitor to an exchange of thoughts about this, in a sensual conversation with the sculptures. Displayed is the upheaval of occupation, the fear of war and the spirit of resistance in the contributions of artists such as Magdalena Abakanowicz, Shinkichi Tajiri and Armando. Atelier van Lieshout refers to power and impotence, struggle and victimhood, in a group of figures around a rider on horseback. On the trail of ARTZUID this work is connected to the Indonesia-Netherland Monument on Apollolaan. These are just a few examples of the more than 60 works that populate ARTZUID. The architectural works by often young artists have a commitment and idealism reminiscent of architect H.P. Berlage and urban sculptor Hildo Krop. Both having been instrumental in developing the urban design of the neighbourhood home to ARTZUID. They stimulate visitors to think about the future of the urban community and seek answers to the question of what strategies are needed to create a sustainable and peaceful society
Participating artists ARTZUID 2025
Adam Colton (NL/GB), Arlene Shechet (USA), Art van Triest (NL), Atelier van Lieshout (NL), Alicja Kwade (PL), Armando (NL), Bart Lunenburg (NL), Bastienne Kramer (NL), Britte Koolen (NL), Carin Scholten (NL), Chris Peterson (NL), Cristobal Gabarron (ES), David Bade (CW), David Nash (GB), Erik Buijs (NL), Eiji Watanabe (JP), Esther Jiskoot (NL), Fiona Römpp (NL), Gavin Turk (GB), Helen Vergouwen (NL), Herbert Nouwens (NL) Henk Visch (NL), Hieke Luik (NL), Huub en Adelheid Kortekaas (NL), Isa van Lier (NL), Ilse Oelbers (NL), Iris Le Rütte (NL), Ivan Cremer (NL), Jaume Plensa (ES), Jean-Marie Appriou (FR), Katleen Vinck (BE), Klaas Gubbels (NL), Laura Schurink (NL), Leilah Babirye (USA), Lina Iris Viktor (USA), Leiko Ikemura (JP), Lotta Blokker (NL), Louise Schouwenberg (NL), Maja van Hall (NL), Marcel Pinas (SR), Maen Florin (BE), Magdalena Abakanowicz (PL), Marte Röling (NL), Marieke Bolhuis (NL), Margot Berkman (NL), Marion Verboom (FR), Micky Hoogendijk (NL), Nadia Naveau (BE), Natasja Alers (NL), Nel van Lith (NL), Nelson Carrilho (NL), Neo Rauch (DE), Paloma Varga Weisz (DE), Paul Goede (NL), Rachel Harrison (USA), Ricardo van Eyk (NL), Rob Schreefel (NL), Rob Voerman (NL), Ronald Westerhuis (NL),Ruud Kuijer (NL), Shinkichi Tajiri (USA), Sjef Voets (NL), Sokari Douglas Camp (GB), Stefan Rinck (DE), Tirzo Martha (CW), Tschabalala Self (USA), Tal R (DEN), Tony Cragg (GB), Wjm Kok (NL), Wouter van der Giessen (NL), Xavier Veilhan (FR), Yoshitomo Nara (JP)
With the wind and rain this morning we moved the Focus North shoot up the road to Avalon. The balcony on the new surf club meant that we could get undercover, but you can't deny the commitment of some photographers who get out there no matter what.
And even when the conditions aren't great, theirs always breakfast to look forward to after the shoot.
Great catching up with everyone
Class 40 Indian Summer - the legendary Manchester-Skegness
On 25th Aug 1984, instead of chasing 40s across the north-west, I chose to take the only scheduled service that was still booked a Class 40, the Man Picc-Skegness (SO) and return. I was rewarded with this mighty beast at the front - one of the old LMR namers 'Aureol' :)
40012 was one of a relatively small number of 'Whistlers' that were based at Carlisle Kingmoor (KD) in the 1980s.
'A day in the life' - log book update:
Saturday 25th August 1984 - 40012 on 1E67 08.15 Man Picc - Skegness
MAN PICC
Ashburys
Reddish North
Romiley
New Mills Central
EDALE
Dore
SHEFFIELD
Darnall
Worksop
RETFORD (Low Level)
Gainsborough Lea Road
Saxilby
LINCOLN CENTRAL
Metheringham
Ruskington
SLEAFORD
Heckington
Swineshead
Hubbert's bridge
BOSTON
Thorpe Culvert
Wainfleet
Havenhouse
SKEGNESS
and in reverse for
1M54 13.24 Skegness - Man Picc
304 miles
Between 1982 and 1984 I spent many happy hours with my friends chasing around the North of England after the remaining Class 40s. At the beginning of 1984, there were still 50 members of the fleet in service, but this had already reduced down to 26 by the time I had 40012 to Skeg. By the end of the summer timetable, just 25 remained in service, and only 17 of the class survived into 1985, all but 3 being withdrawn over the weekend of 21st/22nd Jan 1985.
D200/40122, 40118 and 40012 were kept on just for rail tours, although D200 had a second Indian summer :)
Locomotive History
D212 / 40012 'Aureol'
D212 was built by the English Electric Company at their Vulcan Foundry Works, Newton-Le-Willows, Lancashire and entered service in May 1959, allocated to Willesden MPD. From the 1st June 1959, D212 transferred to Crewe North, firstly on loan and then permanently before transfer to Carlisle Upperby in Sep 1959 and Camden in December 1960. D212 was named 'Aureol' by Mr.M.Glaister, Director of the Elder Dempster shipping line at Liverpool Riverside Station on the 20th Sep 1960. D212 remained at Camden for the next five years before a gradual move back to the North West via Bescot (Dec 1965) and Crewe (Apr 1966) finally transferring to Longsight in Aug 1967. It remained at Longsight for almost eleven years apart from brief stays at Springs Branch (Jun 1972 - May 1973) and Kingmoor (May 1973 – Aug 1973).
D212 became 40012 in the 1973 TOPS renumbering scheme. Its final transfer was in Dec 1978 when 40012 transfered to Carlisle Kingmoor where it remained until being withdrawn from active service in Feb 1985, due to derailment damage. Following withdrawal it was dragged to Crewe Gresty Lane sidings awaiting disposal. However, due to the Crewe Station remodeling scheme, 40012 was reinstated to traffic on 20th May 1985 at Crewe TMD, given the departmental running number of 97407 and restricted to a maximum speed of 35 mph for use on engineering trains only. Withdrawal for the second time around finally took place at Crewe TMD on the 4th Apr 1986, due to cracked bogie frames, and it was moved to Crewe Basford Hall yard to again await disposal. On the 1st Sep 1986, 97407 along with sister loco 97408 (ex-40118) moved from Crewe to Carlisle to provide spares to keep the flagship of the class (D200) running in order for it to fill its railtour commitments. 97407 remained at Carlisle until 7th Sep 1988 when it travelled via Workington, Crewe and Nuneaton to Vic Berry's Yard at Leicester for asbestos removal to be carried out, before moving on to its new home at the Midland Railway Centre. This magnificently detailed history courtesy again of John Woolley Photos
My interest in the railways waned permanently with the demise of the Class 50s, initially from the Paddington-Oxford route in 1990, and finally when they retired from the Waterloo-Exeter services in 1992.
As well as enjoying the thrash, I managed to record many of the trips and railway scenes encountered on film for posterity. Those days are now long gone, but happily the photos remain for me to reminisce over and share. ;)
Taken with a Zenith TTL SLR camera and standard lens. Scanned from the original negative with no digital restoration
You can see a random selection of my railway photos here on Flickriver: www.flickriver.com/photos/themightyhood/random/
'Indian Summer' - a period of happiness or success occurring late in life...English Electric Type 4 1958-1984
Italia - Florencia - Catedral de Santa Maria del Fiore
***
ENGLISH
By the beginning of the 15th century, after a hundred years of construction, the structure was still missing its dome. The basic features of the dome had been designed by Arnolfo di Cambio in 1296. His brick model, 4.6 metres (15.1 feet) high, 9.2 metres (30.2 feet) long, was standing in a side aisle of the unfinished building, and had long been sacrosanct. It called for an octagonal dome higher and wider than any that had ever been built, with no external buttresses to keep it from spreading and falling under its own weight.
The commitment to reject traditional Gothic buttresses had been made when Neri di Fioravanti's model was chosen over a competing one by Giovanni di Lapo Ghini. That architectural choice, in 1367, was one of the first events of the Italian Renaissance, marking a break with the Medieval Gothic style and a return to the classic Mediterranean dome. Italian architects regarded Gothic flying buttresses as ugly makeshifts. Furthermore, the use of buttresses was forbidden in Florence, as the style was favored by central Italy's traditional enemies to the north. Neri's model depicted a massive inner dome, open at the top to admit light, like Rome's Pantheon, but enclosed in a thinner outer shell, partly supported by the inner dome, to keep out the weather. It was to stand on an unbuttressed octagonal drum. Neri's dome would need an internal defense against spreading (hoop stress), but none had yet been designed.
The building of such a masonry dome posed many technical problems. Brunelleschi looked to the great dome of the Pantheon in Rome for solutions. The dome of the Pantheon is a single shell of concrete, the formula for which had long since been forgotten. The Pantheon had employed structural centring to support the concrete dome while it cured. This could not be the solution in the case of a dome this size and would put the church out of use. For the height and breadth of the dome designed by Neri, starting 52 metres (171 ft) above the floor and spanning 44 metres (144 ft), there was not enough timber in Tuscany to build the scaffolding and forms. Brunelleschi chose to follow such design and employed a double shell, made of sandstone and marble. Brunelleschi would have to build the dome out of brick, due to its light weight compared to stone and being easier to form, and with nothing under it during construction. To illustrate his proposed structural plan, he constructed a wooden and brick model with the help of Donatello and Nanni di Banco, a model which is still displayed in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo. The model served as a guide for the craftsmen, but was intentionally incomplete, so as to ensure Brunelleschi's control over the construction.
Brunelleschi's solutions were ingenious, such as his use of the catenary arch for support. The spreading problem was solved by a set of four internal horizontal stone and iron chains, serving as barrel hoops, embedded within the inner dome: one at the top, one at the bottom, with the remaining two evenly spaced between them. A fifth chain, made of wood, was placed between the first and second of the stone chains. Since the dome was octagonal rather than round, a simple chain, squeezing the dome like a barrel hoop, would have put all its pressure on the eight corners of the dome. The chains needed to be rigid octagons, stiff enough to hold their shape, so as not to deform the dome as they held it together.
Each of Brunelleschi's stone chains was built like an octagonal railroad track with parallel rails and cross ties, all made of sandstone beams 43 centimetres (17 in) in diameter and no more than 2.3 metres (7.5 ft) long. The rails were connected end-to-end with lead-glazed iron splices. The cross ties and rails were notched together and then covered with the bricks and mortar of the inner dome. The cross ties of the bottom chain can be seen protruding from the drum at the base of the dome. The others are hidden. Each stone chain was supposed to be reinforced with a standard iron chain made of interlocking links, but a magnetic survey conducted in the 1970s failed to detect any evidence of iron chains, which if they exist are deeply embedded in the thick masonry walls. Brunelleschi also included vertical "ribs" set on the corners of the octagon, curving towards the center point. The ribs, 4 metres (13 ft) deep, are supported by 16 concealed ribs radiating from center. The ribs had slits to take beams that supported platforms, thus allowing the work to progress upward without the need for scaffolding.
A circular masonry dome can be built without supports, called centering, because each course of bricks is a horizontal arch that resists compression. In Florence, the octagonal inner dome was thick enough for an imaginary circle to be embedded in it at each level, a feature that would hold the dome up eventually, but could not hold the bricks in place while the mortar was still wet. Brunelleschi used a herringbone brick pattern to transfer the weight of the freshly laid bricks to the nearest vertical ribs of the non-circular dome.
The outer dome was not thick enough to contain embedded horizontal circles, being only 60 centimetres (2 ft) thick at the base and 30 centimetres (1 ft) thick at the top. To create such circles, Brunelleschi thickened the outer dome at the inside of its corners at nine different elevations, creating nine masonry rings, which can be observed today from the space between the two domes. To counteract hoop stress, the outer dome relies entirely on its attachment to the inner dome and has no embedded chains.
A modern understanding of physical laws and the mathematical tools for calculating stresses were centuries in the future. Brunelleschi, like all cathedral builders, had to rely on intuition and whatever he could learn from the large scale models he built. To lift 37,000 tons of material, including over 4 million bricks, he invented hoisting machines and lewissons for hoisting large stones. These specially designed machines and his structural innovations were Brunelleschi's chief contribution to architecture. Although he was executing an aesthetic plan made half a century earlier, it is his name, rather than Neri's, that is commonly associated with the dome.
Brunelleschi's ability to crown the dome with a lantern was questioned and he had to undergo another competition, even though there had been evidence that Brunelleschi had been working on a design for a lantern for the upper part of the dome. The evidence is shown in the curvature, which was made steeper than the original model.[30] He was declared the winner over his competitors Lorenzo Ghiberti and Antonio Ciaccheri. His design (now on display in the Museum Opera del Duomo) was for an octagonal lantern with eight radiating buttresses and eight high arched windows. Construction of the lantern was begun a few months before his death in 1446. Then, for 15 years, little progress was possible, due to alterations by several architects. The lantern was finally completed by Brunelleschi's friend Michelozzo in 1461. The conical roof was crowned with a gilt copper ball and cross, containing holy relics, by Verrocchio in 1469. This brings the total height of the dome and lantern to 114.5 metres (376 ft). This copper ball was struck by lightning on 17 July 1600 and fell down. It was replaced by an even larger one two years later.
The commission for this gilt copper ball [atop the lantern] went to the sculptor Andrea del Verrocchio, in whose workshop there was at this time a young apprentice named Leonardo da Vinci. Fascinated by Filippo's [Brunelleschi's] machines, which Verrocchio used to hoist the ball, Leonardo made a series of sketches of them and, as a result, is often given credit for their invention.
Leonardo might have also participated in the design of the bronze ball, as stated in the G manuscript of Paris "Remember the way we soldered the ball of Santa Maria del Fiore".
The decorations of the drum gallery by Baccio d'Agnolo were never finished after being disapproved by no one less than Michelangelo.
A huge statue of Brunelleschi now sits outside the Palazzo dei Canonici in the Piazza del Duomo, looking thoughtfully up towards his greatest achievement, the dome that would forever dominate the panorama of Florence. It is still the largest masonry dome in the world.
The building of the cathedral had started in 1296 with the design of Arnolfo di Cambio and was completed in 1469 with the placing of Verrochio's copper ball atop the lantern. But the façade was still unfinished and would remain so until the 19th century.
***
ESPAÑOL
La cúpula de Santa María del Fiore o cúpula de Santa María de la Flor, también conocida como cúpula de Brunelleschi o cúpula del Duomo de Florencia, constituye la cubierta del crucero de la catedral de Santa María del Fiore de Florencia. Fue la cúpula más grande del mundo tras la caída del imperio romano y se considera todavía la mayor jamás realizada en albañilería. Fue ideada, proyectada y construida por Filippo Brunelleschi, quien inició con esta obra el Renacimiento italiano y florentino en arquitectura. Está considerada como la construcción más importante edificada en Europa desde la época romana, debido a la relevancia fundamental que ha desempeñado para el desarrollo posterior de la arquitectura y de la concepción moderna de la construcción.
La cúpula tiene una forma apuntada y está formada por ocho caras o paños ojivales, cubiertos con teja de barro rojo y bordeados por ocho nervios de piedra blanca. Toda la estructura descansa sobre un tambor también octogonal, perforado por ocho óculos para la iluminación del interior. Los nervios convergen en un anillo octogonal superior, coronado por una linterna, elemento que también colabora en la entrada de luz. El interior está constituido por dos casquetes o domos, uno interior y otro exterior, construidos con ladrillo dispuesto en forma de espina de pez. Están conectados entre sí por medio de una retícula interior formada por costillas y nervaduras, que sostiene la cúpula y colabora en su estabilidad. El hueco que queda entre ambos casquetes forma un espacio por el que se asciende hasta la linterna. El exterior del tambor está revestido con mármoles polícromos y con una balaustrada incompleta que solo se construyó en una de sus caras. La cara interna de la cúpula está decorada con pinturas al fresco y al temple que representan el Juicio Final.
Las proporciones del conjunto son monumentales. La altura máxima de la cúpula es de 116.50 metros, el diámetro máximo del casquete interior es de 45.5 metros y el del exterior, de 54.8 metros. La base de las impostas se encuentra a 55 metros del suelo. El tambor, de 13 metros de altura y 43 de anchura, se sitúa a 54 metros del suelo. El casquete interior tiene un espesor en su base de 2.20 metros, que disminuye hasta los 2 metros en la cúspide, mientras que el casquete exterior tiene un espesor que pasa de un metro a 0.40 metros. El anillo superior de cierre de la cúpula se encuentra a 86.70 metros del suelo. La linterna tiene 6 metros de diámetro y 21 de altura. Los paños trapezoidales miden 17.50 metros de longitud y tienen una altura de 32.65 metros. El peso estimado total de la cúpula es de unas 30 000 toneladas y se calcula que se necesitaron para su construcción más de 4 millones de ladrillos.
Sus enormes dimensiones hicieron inviable el empleo de los métodos constructivos tradicionales mediante cimbras, lo cual ha favorecido la especulación de diversas teorías sobre la técnica constructiva empleada. Brunelleschi no dejó registro de ningún dibujo, maqueta o esbozo que indicara el procedimiento utilizado en la edificación de la cúpula.
Las obras de construcción de la cúpula tuvieron una duración de 16 años, desde 1420 hasta 1436. En 1446 se inició la construcción de la linterna, que fue terminada en 1461. El revestimiento exterior del tambor se ejecutó entre 1512 y 1515, y la decoración pictórica del interior de la cúpula se prolongó desde 1572 hasta 1579.
Crazy Horse Memorial
Sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski and Lakota Chief Henry Standing Bear officially started Crazy Horse Memorial June 3, 1948. The Memorial's mission is to honor the culture, tradition and living heritage of North American Indians.
Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation demonstrates its ongoing commitment to this promise by following these objectives:
- Continuing the progress on the world's largest mountain sculpture, carving a memorial to the spirit of legendary Lakota leader Crazy Horse and his culture;
- Providing educational and cultural programming to encourage harmony and reconciliation among all people and nations;
- Acting as a repository for Native American artifacts, arts and crafts through the Indian Museum of North America and the Native American Educational & Cultural Center;
- And by establishing and operating the Indian University of North America, and when practical, a medical training center for American Indians
www.crazyhorsememorial.org/about/
______________________________
Le sculpteur Korczak Ziolkowski et le chef Lakota Henry Standing Bear ont officiellement commencé le Crazy Horse Memorial le 3 Juin 1948. L'objectif de ce mémorial est de mettre à l'honneur le patrimoine, la culture, la tradition et la vie des Indiens nord-américains.
La fondation Crazy Horse Memorial démontre son engagement continuel dans cette mission en suivant les objectifs suivants:
- Réaliser dans la montagne la plus grande sculpture du monde, un monument dédié à l'esprit et à la culture du légendaire chef Lakota Crazy Horse;
- Fournir des éléments éducatifs et culturels pour encourager l'harmonie et la réconciliation entre tous les peuples et les nations;
- Agir en tant que référentiel pour les objets, les arts et l'artisanat amérindiens par le biais du Musée de l'Indien d'Amérique du Nord et le Native American Educational & Cultural Center;
- Et en créant et exploitant l'Université indienne de l'Amérique du Nord, et lorsque cela est possible, un centre de formation médicale pour les Indiens d'Amérique
Traduit de :
One from my Winter trip to Iceland. My attempt at a non-cliched shot of Jokulsarlon beach on a dull day. I imagine it was entertaining to watch!
He is the one who makes me happy
When everything else turns to gray
He is also the one who makes me so angry
But makes up for it eventually ;)
He is my best friend, my soul mate, my hubby
Listening to this :)
I had a previous commitment Thursday evening and had to be back in the city by early evening. My wife and son stayed another night in Hillsborough, so I took advantage of having a few free hours along with the budding autumn leaves. I didn’t time it quite right, as I arrived in Moncton the same time as 407 did across the river. Plan B was 406 who took a fair amount of time to get going. I knew I’d be cutting it very close for time, but I was dedicated at this point, and headed further west scouting colour. River Glade looked sharp, and in hindsight, was likely the best I’d come across, however I thought Petty might be brighter. While the leaves weren’t terrible, I knew I’d tie the train if I dare ventured back to River Glade, so I stayed put. With the growing rumour that a bunch of the 56/5700’s are going to be rebuilt as SD70ACu’s, it makes it all the more important to shoot the 70i/75i’s before they receive their makeover.
Shot with my Fuji X100's using a Cokin soft filter.
This is my last picture for my weekly theme 'Commit' and my 365 group.
I'm commited to take a picture for each day of the year =)
No treatment, but not sooc, due a tiny crop.
What can I say?
It is what it is ...
A farewell...
Sadness...
Melancholy ...
Attachment ...
Solidarity ...
Commitment ...
Warmth ...
Closeness ...
Friendship ...
It is what it is ...
Bittersweet
Some finished artwork at Cosanti.
I first visited Cosanti in 1968. There was nothing around it in this part of Paradise Valley and it was still being built. Things sure have changed. Paolo Soleri would probably be appalled by what grew up around his vision that is the compete antithesis of his vision.
I live about 2 miles north of here, but I had never made time to photograph it. I made time.
www.arcosanti.org/cosanti-foundation/
Founded in 1965, The Cosanti Foundation is an Arizona-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Our mission is to inspire a reimagined urbanism that builds resilient and equitable communities sustainably integrated with the natural world.
Our vision is a world of equitable communities which improve earth/life balance and do better with less.
We pursue this mission and vision at our two flagship locations, Cosanti (in Paradise Valley near Phoenix) and Arcosanti (near Mayer in central Arizona), as well as with projects, programs, and partnerships that hundreds of thousands of people have participated in over the last 57 years.
The word “cosanti” is a combination of the Italians words “cosa” (meaning “things”) and “anti” (meaning “against” or “before”). It signifies The Cosanti Foundation’s commitment to a way of living, working, and building that is oriented away from consumption and materialism, and is respectful of our planet’s natural rhythms and resources. Through ongoing experimentation with and application of the principles of arcology (a combination of the words architecture and ecology), we seek to demonstrate a kind of construction and community that offers an alternative to sprawl development and a solution to modern social and environmental crises.
The Cosanti Foundation also owns and operates the for-profit Cosanti Originals, where we make our world-famous bronze and ceramic windbells and other artisan items.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paolo_Soleri
Paolo Soleri (21 June 1919 – 9 April 2013)[1] was an Italian-born American architect. He established the educational Cosanti Foundation and Arcosanti. Soleri was a lecturer in the College of Architecture at Arizona State University and a National Design Award recipient in 2006. He coined the concept of 'arcology' – a synthesis of architecture and ecology as the philosophy of democratic society.[2] He died at home of natural causes on 9 April 2013 at the age of 93.[3]
Soleri authored several books, including The Bridge Between Matter & Spirit is Matter Becoming Spirit and Arcology – City In the Image of Man.[4]
Soleri was born in Turin, Italy, Europe. He was awarded his "laurea" (master's degree) in architecture from the Politecnico di Torino in 1946. He visited the United States in December 1946 and spent a year and a half in fellowship with Frank Lloyd Wright at Taliesin West in Arizona, and at Taliesin in Spring Green, Wisconsin. During this time, he gained international recognition for a bridge design that was displayed at the Museum of Modern Art.[5]
Paolo and Colly Soleri made a lifelong commitment to research and experimentation in urban planning. They established the Cosanti Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) educational non-profit foundation. Soleri's philosophy and works were strongly influenced by the Jesuit paleontologist and philosopher Pierre Teilhard de Chardin.[citation needed]
DSC04107-HDR acd
Intensive work commitments are keeping me a little occupied to say the least at the moment. Not as much time to visit and enjoy your work as I would like. Coupled with something of a home "caveman" speed internet and you find things are not always as easy as they could be, nevermind. In two minds to go bw or keep some colour going. Hope this one brightens your day............
A rework of an older shot, i always loved the energy but wasn't a great fan of the noise levels, cleaned up a little bit in PS.
Largo di Torre Argentina Sanctuary, Rome. Special praise to the volunteers who tirelessly look after the welfare of hundreds of abandoned and unwanted cats throughout the city. Without their dedication and commitment to these beautiful animals, I would most certainly not have had the pleasure of spending time with these friendly feline companions whilst in Rome
Day 85 / 365
"Sweet Bed"
"I love my relationship with my bed. No commitment needed. We just sleep together every night…"
www.facebook.com/pages/Pol-Tadifa-Photography/42366647103...
great blue heron, far corner of a public beach. He was unperturbed by me, simply jumping to another nearby rock.
(52/52)
So as this year draws to a close and my project is completed for this year, I feel nostalgic for when I first started photography but I also love how much I've improved. I hope you've also enjoyed my journey through photography, seeing my failures, and my successes. My 52 week project folder for 2014 is now filled with 52 photos that best capture this year and I couldn't be more proud.
Thank you for sticking with me through this project and more importantly this year. I will be starting my 2015 52 week project so don't fret!
This loveseat was positioned to perfectly view the sunrise coming over the Salton Sea. The sunrises over the sea can be incredibly stunning. It's an eerie feeling to be hit by intense pinks and blues bouncing off the mountains and into the water as trailers very slowly decay next to you. It kind of makes it more perfect for me. In nature's reclamation, we must have decay. It defines beauty and rebirth. All those moments happen simultaneously here.
-western shore, Salton Sea, CA
The Nepalese Peace Pagoda complemented the Nepalese Pavilion at the World Exposition 1988 (Expo 88), held at Southbank in Brisbane. The square, three-level replica of a traditional Nepalese temple is built of hand-carved wood, and has a double-tiered roof of brass with brass trimmings. It proved popular with the crowds who attended Expo 88, and the Peace Pagoda is the last international exhibit remaining on the Expo 88 site. It was originally sited near the Vulture Street entrance to Expo 88. In 1991 it was moved to its current location, amongst the rainforest near the northern riverbank entrance to the Southbank Parklands.
World Expositions (or Exhibitions) become increasingly popular after the 1851 Great Exhibition in London, but their frequency, and the standard of their facilities, was not regulated until after the 1928 Paris Convention on International Expositions. The Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) was established in 1931 to administer the Convention. Under BIE rules there are two types of international exposition: the Universal/Category A/General Exposition, and the International/Category B/Special Exposition. The former involves broad themes, and participants design their own pavilions from the ground up, based on the theme.
The International Exposition, which has a narrower theme, is much cheaper to host, and is usually limited to one branch of human endeavour. Participants rent prefabricated pavilions from the host country's committee. Brisbane's Expo 88 was an International Exposition, with the theme "Leisure in the Age of Technology". Most of the structures built on exposition sites are intended to be temporary, but some sites have become parks, incorporating surviving exposition elements, including the sites of Montreal 1967, Seville 1992, Taejon 1993, and Lisbon 1998. Some structures have gone on to become landmarks in their own right, such as the Royal Exhibition Building (Melbourne 1880), the Eiffel Tower (Paris 1889), and the Space Needle (Seattle 1962).
The first bid to bring an exposition to Brisbane in 1988 began with James Maccormick , the architect who had designed the Australian pavilions at Montreal 1967, Osaka 1970, and Spokane 1974. The Brisbane Chamber of Commerce was converted to the idea, and lobbied the Queensland State Government during 1977. However, the Queensland Government was worried about the cost of a Universal Exposition, and was preoccupied with its bid for the 1982 Commonwealth Games. A second Queensland bid was made in 1981. The Australian Bicentennial Authority (ABA), under John Reid, wanted an Universal Exposition in Australia as part of Bicentennial in 1988, and the Federal Government was prepared to fund half of the cost of an exposition in Melbourne or Sydney. However, when these states turned the offer down in January 1981, Reid approached the Queensland Government with a proposal for a cheaper International Exposition. In late 1981 the State Cabinet funded a study that identified South Brisbane as the preferred site. The State Cabinet approved the study on 5 November 1981, on the condition that the Federal Government share the capital costs, but Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser rejected this notion in December 1981.
Queensland made two more attempts in 1982 for an International Exposition. Frank Moore, Chairman of the Queensland Tourist and Travel Corporation (QTTC), believed that private enterprise could fund the exposition, and that it would benefit Queensland's tourism. Queensland's Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen asked Prime Minister Fraser to get the BIE to keep a slot open for Brisbane in 1988. Fraser was willing to support this proposal, so long as there was no Federal financial commitment. However, Queensland private enterprise was not forthcoming, and Bjelke-Petersen withdrew the proposal in April 1982. November of 1982 witnessed a renewed bid by the State Government. The State would lend money to a statutory authority, which would be tasked with buying and developing the land, and managing the exposition. Brisbane's application was sent to the December 1982 meeting of the BIE in Paris, and was approved in June 1983.
The Brisbane Exposition and South Bank Redevelopment Authority (BESBRA) was established in February 1984 by an Act of the Queensland Parliament. BESBRA was soon referred to in the media as the Expo 88 Authority, or the Expo Authority. Sir Llewellyn Edwards, the Deputy Premier, was appointed as Chairman. In April 1984 the Expo 88 Authority's general manager, Bob Minnikin, claimed that Expo 88 would require $180 million to produce, including resumptions and development, and $90 million to run. It was hoped that gate takings and sponsorship would cover the running costs, and that the development cost would be recouped through selling off the site after Expo 88. Only 13 hectares of the Expo 88 site was private land, with the remainder of the 40 hectares belonging to either the State Government or the Brisbane City Council. Nonetheless, the last resumption did not occur until October 1984, as the owner of the heritage-listed residence 'Collins Place' fought a running legal battle with the Expo 88 Authority.
Grey and Stanley Streets were closed to traffic in July 1985, and demolition work began. Construction of the pavilions started in January 1986. The concept of the Expo 88 architects, Bligh Maccormick 88, included eight large shade-canopies, to protect the public from the Queensland sun. Landscaping began in March 1987, and the Monorail, which would circle the site on a 2.3 kilometre long track, was commissioned in June of that year. By January 1988, $90 million of the $136.8 million construction budget had been spent, and 7.8 million visitors were expected.
During 1987 developers had been asked to present their proposals for Southbank's redevelopment after Expo 88. In February 1988 the State Government announced that the redevelopment plan of the River City 2000 Consortium had been accepted. The Consortium, headed by Sir Frank Moore of the QTTC, had visions of a World Trade Centre on an island, and a casino. However, by early 1988 there was a growing call in the media for more of the site to be turned into public parkland. During March and April 1988 the National Trust protested the River City 2000 Consortium's scheme to move Collins Place, the Plough Inn, and the Allgas Building, three heritage listed buildings, to a historic village. Premier Mike Ahern eventually gave reassurances that this would not happen.
Expo 88 ran for seven days a week, between the hours of 10am-10pm, for six months. Between its opening on 30 April, attended by Queen Elizabeth II, and 30 October 1988, the Expo attracted 15,760,447 visitors, the majority of these being Australians. Most of the international visitors were Japanese, but 100,000 came from the United Kingdom and Europe, with 150,000 visitors from the United States. A total of 36 nations, two international organisations, 14 state and regional governments, and 34 corporations had exhibits.
The pavilions were mostly plain, modular, and temporary. However, the Nepalese Peace Pagoda is a distinctive building, and was easily noticed as the public came through the Vulture Street entrance to Expo 88. The Association to Preserve Asian Culture (APAC) commissioned the Peace Pagoda, which was built by 160 craftsmen of the Kathmandu Valley over two years, before being assembled in Brisbane. It is one of only three such temples outside Nepal, the others being at Munich and Osaka. Nepal has a long history of intricate woodcarving on buildings, and the Peace Pagoda was an attempt to showcase this skill to the world. The two small timber pavilions in front of the Peace Pagoda sold yoghurt lati, samosas, orange juice and lemon tea. Artisans demonstrated their crafts inside the ground floor of the Pagoda, and people could drink their tea and watch the Expo crowds from the teahouse on the first floor. The nearby Nepalese pavilion showcased traditional costumes, climbing dress, photographs, and artefacts.
Expo 88 was a turning point for Queensland's culture and economy, especially in Brisbane. On 30 May 1983 Joh Bjelke-Petersen had noted that if Brisbane's bid were successful, it would focus the world's spotlight on Queensland. Sir Frank Moore believed that the key to developing a major tourist industry in Queensland was a series of hallmark events, including the 1982 Commonwealth Games, which would focus attention on Queensland far better than any advertising campaign. Expo 88 was also intended to start Brisbane on a modernisation process, and towards becoming a 'global' city. The urban renewal of South Brisbane was just one aspect. In April 1984 Sir Llew stated that Queensland would never be the same again after Expo 88, and Brisbane would develop an image as a centre of trade, culture and entertainment. In April 1988 the Courier Mail claimed that Expo 88 was "bridging the yawning gap from a hayseed State to an urbane, international future". Sir Llew also claimed in April 1988 that the aim was for Expo 88 to be a catalyst for a change in lifestyle. Queenslanders had experienced extended opening hours and outdoor café dining, and had liked it.
While the crowds enjoyed Expo 88, controversy continued regarding future plans for the site. There were calls for more public input on redevelopment plans. About 4.5 hectares of land between Stanley Street and the river belonged to the Brisbane City Council (BCC), as Clem Jones Park, and had been lent to the Expo 88 Authority. In June 1988 it was decided to restore this land as parkland, and the River City 2000 Consortium lost its Preferred Developer status.
Government plans for a South Bank Development Corporation were announced, and in July 1988 an interim committee, headed by Sir Llew, was formed to oversee redevelopment. Sir Llew noted in October 1988 that more public funding was necessary to increase the parkland component of the new Southbank, as the land had been earmarked for development to repay for the cost of Expo 88. The draft redevelopment plans released in November 1988 included 12 hectares of parkland. Public submissions on the plan suggested that people wanted to be able to return to the Expo 88 site, to a public facility that had a similar combination of food, art and nature.
At the end of Expo 88, the APAC had planned to sell the Nepalese Peace Pagoda, and it appeared likely that it would be moved to Japan. However, 90,000 people had signed a petition during Expo 88 to keep the Peace Pagoda in Brisbane, and in late 1988 the BCC offered to provide land for the Peace Pagoda, if the Federal Government would pay for its cost and maintenance. A "Save the Pagoda Campaign" was active by February 1989. Public donations eventually totalled $52,000, with $30,000 coming from one couple, who wanted to "give Brisbane something to remember from Expo 88". The BCC provided $50,000, and the Federal Government supplied $100,000. "The Friends of the Pagoda Committee" also raised funds to buy several items that had complemented the Peace Pagoda, including a brass statue of the deity of compassion, a bronze bell and carved stone frame, and a stone lingam.
The Southbank Development Corporation was set up February 1989, with Vic Pullar as the Chairman. Approximately $200 million had been spent on developing the Expo site, and this money had to be recouped. The South Bank Corporation Act was passed in May 1989, and the former Clem Jones Park area was transferred to the Southbank Corporation, which was tasked with managing a new parkland precinct. In June 1989 submissions were sought from five architectural firms, and in August the "Media Five" concept of a mixed residential, commercial, and parkland development was chosen. Under Media Five's plans, the Peace Pagoda would be moved to the northern part of the parklands. The Media Five Chairman, Desmond Brooks, also suggested that Collins Place, the Plough Inn and the Allgas Building be removed to a historic village, but Vic Pullar rejected this idea. However, when the Southbank Corporation's Draft Development Plan was released in November 1989, it proposed to only keep the facades of the historic buildings. After protests by the National Trust, the State Government overruled the Southbank Corporation.
The proposed redevelopment included a waterway through the park, and a large lagoon, which was later downsized. In March 1990 the Final Plan was presented, after public submissions, and site redevelopment started in July 1990. The official Southbank Parklands opening occurred on 20 June 1992. The Waterway was later filled in and replaced with the Energex Arbour, which was officially opened in March 2000.
The transfer of the Peace Pagoda to its current site started on 24 September 1991. The deity of compassion was moved from the first floor to a glass case on the ground floor, the sides of the ground floor were encased in glass, and a display case was added inside. Access to the first floor was sealed off. The two smaller pavilions were also transferred, but their service windows were locked up. Two lion statues and two elephant statues were also relocated. The building was originally designed to be demountable, but it is currently set in a ceramic tiled floor. The Peace Pagoda was one of the best-loved exhibits at Expo 88, as visitors were able to relax in it away from the bustle of the crowds. Today it is still popular, both with tourists, and those who go there to meditate and reflect.
Source: Queensland Heritage Register.
CN SD60 5438 and a CP GEVO sit in the yard in Joliet, IL next to the sign which has some nice motivational statement on it.
With winter over the Admiral has decided to commit himself to becoming a better painter. Will he succeed? The answer will be another word of #SiPgoes52.
(Posting my #sip_commitment a bit earlier than initially planned for #StarWarsDay)
USS Olympia (C-6/CA-15/CL-15/IX-40) is a protected cruiser that saw service in the United States Navy from her commissioning in 1895 until 1922. This vessel became famous as the flagship of Commodore George Dewey at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War in 1898. The ship was decommissioned after returning to the U.S. in 1899, but was returned to active service in 1902.
She served until World War I as a training ship for naval cadets and as a floating barracks in Charleston, South Carolina. In 1917, she was mobilized again for war service, patrolling the American coast and escorting transport ships.
Following the end of World War I, Olympia participated in the 1919 Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War, and conducted cruises in the Mediterranean and Adriatic Seas to promote peace in the unstable Balkan countries. In 1921, the ship carried the remains of World War I's Unknown Soldier from France to Washington, DC, where his body was interred in Arlington National Cemetery. Olympia was decommissioned for the last time in December 1922 and placed in reserve.
In 1957, the U.S. Navy ceded title to the Cruiser Olympia Association, which restored the ship to her 1898 configuration. Since then, Olympia has been a museum ship in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is now part of the Independence Seaport Museum. Olympia is the oldest steel US warship still afloat. However, the Museum has been unable to fund essential maintenance for the old ship, and attempts to secure outside funding have failed. Therefore the current steward, under direction of the US Navy has put the ship up for availability to new stewards. It will take an estimated ten million dollars to put Olympia in a stable condition.
Olympia was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1966.
As of 2012, Olympia's future was uncertain; repairs are desperately needed to keep the ship afloat. Four entities from San Francisco, California, Beaufort, South Carolina, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Washington, DC, are vying to be a new steward, but it is a race against time due to the waterline deterioration of the hull. As the current entities are in competition for the ship, no significant repairs have been made, although the current steward has done some minor repairs. In reaction to this gap in coverage, the National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP) has set up a fund repository which, if funds are raised, will be directly applied to immediate repairs of the vessel with the cooperation of the current steward. At the present time, March 2012, the NTHP is considering a triple application by the Naval Historical Foundation, the Historic Naval Ships Association, and the National Maritime Association to have Olympia placed on the NTHP's list of the eleven most endangered "places". The steward applicants from San Francisco (Mare Island), and Beaufort, S.C., have endorsed the application. Despite these positive steps, Olympia is in critical danger due to the lack of funds.
Since 2011, Independence Seaport Museum has renewed its commitment to the continued preservation of the Cruiser Olympia until the Transfer Application Process reaches its conclusion in summer 2014. The Museum has invested in extensive stabilization measures including reinforcing the most deteriorated areas of the hull, expanding the alarm system, installing a network of bilge pumping stand pipes (which will provide greater damage control capability in the unlikely event of a hull breech), extensive deck patching and extensive repair and recoating of the ship’s rigging. Although still in need of dry docking and substantial restoration, the Olympia is in a more stable condition now than it has been for years. This work was made possible by donations from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, The U.S. Cruiser Sailors Association and many individual donors.
Of the six candidates that originally applied for stewardship of the cruiser Olympia, only two remain: an organization in California and an organization in South Carolina. The Museum continues to seek resources to preserve the ship for education and interpretation. The ship will remain open to the public seven days a week from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, and until 7:00 pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend.
Wearing Canada's uniform two soldiers kicking back and enjoying themselves at the Abbotsford International Airshow.
Hello my Friends todays painting is called (Involuntary Commitment) A Involuntary commitment is the practice of using legal means or forms as part of a mental health law to commit a person to a mental hospital, insane asylum or psychiatric ward against their will and/or over their protests, Involuntary Commitment takes place when a person is ordered to be admitted to a hospital or treatment facility in order to prevent harm to that individual or others. The purpose of involuntary commitment is to help a person receive necessary and appropriate mental health and/or substance abuse treatment. In order to be hospitalized against an individual's wishes, the person must be mentally ill or under the influence of drugs or alcohol and dangerous to self or others. A person may act very strangely. displaying abnormal behavior but not be committable. An individual is considered dangerous to self if the person exhibits the following behaviors:
is unable to exercise self-control. judgment and discretion in conducting responsibilities of daily life without care/supervision. or
is unable to satisfy need for nourishment. personal care, medical care. shelter. protection and safety and there is a "reasonable probability" of serious physical debilitation unless adequate treatment is given, or
has attempted or threatened suicide and there is "reasonable probability" of suicide unless treatment is given. or
has mutilated or attempted to mutilate self and there is "reasonable probability" that the person will seriously mutilate self again unless treatment is given,steve
Close to 100 years old and still going strong, Tepu' Apung is one of the most direct and outspoken elders I've met in Bario. Always well known for her intelligence and sharpness, quite literally, her other name, Beken Ayu, means "something different" in Kelabit - and she lives up to it. On this particular day she decided to give me a Kelabit name, but her delivery was uniquely serious and classic Tepu' Apung: "Chris is a girl's name. You can't use that name anymore - your new name is Giak!"
She spends most of her time at Rumah Labang just spending time around people and the environment - be it relaxing by the fire, making sure everyone has eaten ("Kuman? Kuman!") or sharing stories from the past. Some of her stories are even so detailed and complex she claims she can't even share them with us as they would literally take days to complete.
Her spoken Kelabit is very deep with not all words completely understood by younger Kelabits - as parts of her lexicon are not commonly used on a daily basis. Any misunderstanding is usually met with Sarawak Malay to get the point across. Her beads are also of particular importance to her - as they are to most Kelabits (especially in past times where they were highly valued), and if she is not found in the kitchen she can undoubtedly be found beading in her room.
Be aware though, If one wishes to engage Tepu' in discussion, they should be commited to discussion. She doesn't joke around and she commands honest respect. For that commitment, however, one will be rewarded with stories of Kelabit past available nowhere else and uniquely Beken Ayu.
Rumah Labang, Kelabit Highlands, Sarawak, Malaysia, 2009
Artemis I will be the first integrated flight test of NASA’s deep space exploration system: the Orion spacecraft, Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the ground systems at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will be an uncrewed flight that will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration, and demonstrate our commitment and capability to extend human existence to the Moon and beyond. During this flight, the uncrewed Orion spacecraft will launch on the most powerful rocket in the world and travel thousands of miles beyond the Moon, farther than any spacecraft built for humans has ever flown, over the course of about a three-week mission.
Image credit: NASA/Liam Yanulis
BASICS: Nevada Youth Training Center, Elko, NV. Rated at 110 beds. At time of visit there were 91 kids there, all male. NYTC is a rural facility, with 30-25 acres next to the highway. Average length of stay is 6.5 months. Levels are defined by uniforms. The kids are taken out to clear trails in Lemoille canyon. The director, Joe Payne, says they love it.
PICTURED: youths lining up to go to lunch in a cafeteria. The orange jumpsuits designate flight risks.
While moving from Chicago to Jacksonville, I spared some time for a “Traincation” out west with some must-have shots in mind. Watching Amtrak’s southbound Coast Starlight surf the Pacific from Jalama Beach could not have been left out. Even devoting nearly a full day of precious vacation time for the shot was well worth it.
March 6, 2022
Lompoc, California